Resurrection and Redemption
by JuggsGotYa
Summary: Anderson finds himself ripped from paradise and returned to his earthly bonds, he must now deal with his falling out with the Church for his part in Maxwell's death and trying to find his new place back among the living and the living dead. Rating may change in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This my first Hellsing story and it deals with the idea of Anderson coming back, and dealing withe fallout of his killing Maxwell and trying to findo his place outside of the church.

Also although I tried to proofread and clear up any errors, but all I'm certain most writer know it's hard to see your own mistakes when proofreading so I'm certain dispite my best efforts some things slipped passed me. That being said if anyone who reads this is interested in being my proofreader for future chapters just shoot me message and we can discuss it.

Enough of the boring stuff I hope you enjoy my work and be sure to let me know what you think, tour reviews are the food that keep me writing haha

* * *

The cold bit at his face and ears as he trekked through the snow covered streets on his way to what he now called his home. He took a deep breath and watched as the vapor of his breath disappeared shortly after exhaling. He pulled his coat up around his ears to try and block out the cold and the bittersweet memories that accompanied it.

There was once a time in his life when the cool air was a harbinger of a joyful time, a time when he would bring his orphans a little bit of cheer that they normally missed in their lives.

Christmas was the one time of year they seemed to feel like normal children. He would take some of the older kids to cut down a tree while the younger ones would decorate the whole orphanage, and at the end of the day he and a few of the sisters would make them all how chocolate and they would all sit down and watch A Christmas Carol.

That was more than fifteen years ago, most of children would have grown up by now and would have most likely moved on with their lives, he wondered briefly; with a sad smile, if any of the children still there remembered him. He quickly dismissed the thought however, it would only serve to depress him.

Before long he found himself facing the gate of the estate he now called home. With practiced ease he swiped his key card and the familiar sound of the locks tumbling and a low long beep that signified the deactivation of the security systems greeted his ears, and the gates to the Hellsing estate swung open before him.

He crossed the threshold to his employer's grounds and heard the loud pang of the gate closing behind him as he continued his lonely journey to the main door of the estate.

As he trudged through the half melted slush of the driveway his mind began to drift back to what had brought him to such a low state.

* * *

The children were calling for him, and he was enveloped in a pure light. Bliss, joy, love, elation and peace pierced him to his core. He felt as though he was one with the infinite, surely this was paradise, surely he was in the very presence of the lord.

'This must be heaven' he thought as he was further encompassed by a feeling of love, love beyond love, a love so pure he was certain no worldly being had even felt such a feeling, this was the love of the heavenly father.

'Come and play with us father' he heard the chorus of children cry out to him, and a gentle smile spread across his face.

'Of course children' he spoke as he followed their voices.

The paradise he found himself in did not last however, with no warning he found himself pull from his salvation and felt himself falling. Farther and farther, gaining speed until he came to a sudden stop.

There was no warmth, and no love, only a cold biting wind. He had been cast out of paradise and now he was certain he lay at the gates of Hell, demons prone to drag him in.

He could not say he was scared of the torture that awaited him. He had been in the presence of God, and to lose that was worse than any torture the Devil and his demons could concoct.

"So this is my lot…do your worst demons, you cannot touch my soul" he muttered to himself preparing to endure whatever the foul pits of Hell were prepared to deliver upon him.

There was a sound of shifting stone above him and he opened his eyes to see what twisted creature had come to fetch him. Much to his surprise a single beam of light pierced the darkness causing him to squint. Then suddenly; as though the night had been shattered, light now surrounded him.

Unlike before this was not some divine light, this the cold light of an early morning. If he did not know any better he would have thought he was laying back on the streets of London. The light caused him the shut his eyes tight, but before he could open them again to observe where he now found himself, he heard a feminine voice cry out.

"SIR INTEGRA!"

At this his eyes shot open, not caring about the pain the sun was causing them, and before him was confirmation of where his soul had ended up. Standing above his was that damned Alucard's fledging, her black ethereal arm hold the stone that had no doubt covered him moments before.

He chuckled lightly to himself, and suddenly it felt as though he had not slept in years and darkness began to envelope him. As his exhaustion took him the last thing he heard was rushed footsteps followed by a hush voice laced with disbelief.

"My God" Integra muttered, and Anderson had no energy to chastise her for taking the Lord's name in vain and sleep encompassed him.

When next he woke he found Alucard's servant watching over him, it struck him as odd that such a powerful solider would be issued watch duty.

"Oi draculina where am I?" he spoke suddenly and quietly, but she seemed startled none the less.

"Oh…well you're in the basement of what's left of Hellsing manor" she said somewhat awkwardly.

At this Anderson almost leapt from the bed in a rage but found he was restrained.

"I will not be held captive by you heathens, let me lose or I will tear this entire estate to pieces" he cried out, but Seras did not flinch.

"Go ahead if you like there is not much more you could to this place hehe" she joke somewhat lamely "But you are not a prisoner, he just restrained on the very likely chance you would …well…" she trailed off gesturing to him straining against his restraints trying attack.

At this he forced himself to calm down.

"I'll unlock your restraints if you promise not to attack anyone" she offered to him gingerly.

"…I promise, I'd swear on a bible if you were capable of handing me one" he hissed through gritted teeth.

She seemed to perk up at this and happily unlocked the heavy bonds around his wrist, completely unaffected by his tone. He could scarcely believe this was the same vampire that had once crumbled under his gaze.

"Now that ye have freed me, may I ask why I brought here and not returned to the Vatican if I am not yer prisoner?" he questioned her harshly as he rubbed his wrists.

"It's because they want nothing to with you" a cold voice said from the entrance of the doorway to their left. "You killed an Archbishop, you are no longer welcome within the borders of the Papal state or any of their dioceses, and you have been stripped of your title. Frankly I'm surprised they didn't outright excommunicate you, they've done that in everything but name," Sir Integra spoke with a chilly tone as she lite here cigar.

"Sir" Seras muttered quietly in surprise at the callousness at which the news had been delivered. But this barley registered to Anderson, how could he be banned from the Vatican and her churches? How could he take care of his children? These thoughts and many others raced around his mind as his world feel apart, perhaps he had been delivered to Hell after all.

"You're lying…" he muttered quietly to himself, although at his core he knew she spoke the truth.

"She's not lying Father" a soft voice said, Anderson turned to see who had spoken to him.

"Heinkel, my child tell me this is not true" Anderson pleaded with the young woman with bandages wrapped around her face; a result of the war no doubt.

"I'm afraid not father, Sir Integra knew you would not believe her so she sent for me once they found you, no one knows I've come. If…if you ever set foot on the Catholic churches grounds again we have all been ordered to…" she trailed off but her orders were clear.

"What do I have to live for then! Why not just just kill me and be done with it!?" he practically shouted, he regretted it immediately as she flinch at his voice.

"They thought…well they thought if they took everything away from you, well... you know what some of them think of you and they know what you are capable of" It was quite evident she had not wished to say these things, but she was left with little else to say. They were afraid of him. They were afraid if they expelled him from the church entirely there would be nothing stopping him from charging the gates of St. Peter's Basilica and slaughtering everyone in the Vatican.

By allowing him to at least remain a member of the faith they would not need fear him taking his vengeance upon them, so long as they left him with that one small glimmer of his faith he would not raise his hand against them or the church.

"Do they think so little of me…to think I would try and destroy them…I have always been the church's blade, to be wielded as they saw fit, they never needed to fear me…and they never will," Anderson was speaking more to himself at this point than to anyone in the room. Heinkel was squeezing his hand tightly trying to offer some modicum of comfort. It was at this point Anderson took note of something quite odd "Where's Yumie?" he asked with concern clear in his voice, she and Heinkel had been practically inseparable since they were little girls.

Heinkel looked shocked for a moment before looking at the floor in an attempt to hide the water welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry father" she didn't say anything else, she didn't need to.

"…how?" he asked his voice cracking.

"She was killed by Walter Dornez after she witnessed him desecrating your remains, she rushed in halfcocked and got herself cut to pieces" Integra answered for Heinkel, earning her a look of shock from both Seras and Heinkel.

"Sir…don't you think your being a bit harsh?" Seras whispered to Integra. Sir Integra was known for being to the point and cold, but this seemed excessive.

"Don't lecture me Seras, I've lost just as much as this disposed priest. Alucard is gone, Walter betrayed us, I've lost my home and an eye if I can deal with it so can he," she finished her steely gaze causing Seras to shrink back, even if just slightly.

While Integra's words served to shock Heinkel and rise her ire, they were simply background noise to Anderson. Yumie, sweet little Yumie was gone and thought of her dying in such a matter caused the bile to rise in his throat, he managed to keep himself from vomiting but he could not keep the tears that now streamed down his cheeks. How he hated appearing weak in front his enemies, but he could not bring himself to care.

Upon seeing Anderson's sorry state Heinkel regretted what she had to do next even more, but it was inevitable.

"Fa…Alexander" she stopped herself before using an incorrect title again "I'm sorry but…I have to go, I've been away for far to long as it is, if they discover I've come to see you…"

"No need to apologize my child, do not jeopardize anything on my account, you've already done me a great kindness by coming, just promise me one thing" he spoke softly as he took her hands in his.

"Anything."

"Take care of the children, please just watch over them"

"Of course Alexander" she responded with a distinctly sad tone as she pulled the older man into a tight embrace "Good bye… I don't know if we'll met again," she whispered to him, as she pulled away from the man who had raised her. She felt him pull her close and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I do not know either…go with God my child" and with those final words Heinkel rose and turned to leave. She stopped only for a moment to look at Integra and Sears before making her way to the door, as she reached the threshold she turned and sent one last mournful look at Anderson and then she was gone.

Anderson had never felt so alone in his entire life, he had been stripped of almost everything he held dear. What was the point of living if he could not serve the lord? He was not allowed to dwell on his current situation for long before his thought were interrupted by the icy voice of Integra.

"Well now that that has been dealt with I have a proposition for you Anderson," this caused him to look at her slightly confused, but his face only held the slightest level of interest in what she was saying "The Vatican may not want you, but your skills are second to none and Hellsing is severely lacking manpower at the moment"

"Ye aren't seriously asking what I think her asking are ye?"

"Come and work for Hellsing Anderson, where else would you go, and how else would you continue to do what you do best. You have no personal resources at your disposal and you have been cut off from all your ties in The Vatican, if you wish to keep serving God as you will come and work for me" she finished with a small smirk, she wouldn't deny she took some small form of pleasure at forcing his hand like this. She had expected him to shoot down her offer at first, call them heathens and heretics but she knew he had no other viable options. But she did not get the response she had expected.

"Fine, it doesn't matter, I'll work for you," his voice carried none of it's normal power or vigor, his response was just a dull and dejected mumble.

"Very well, I will go fetch your contract then," If Integra was surprised by the ease at which Anderson had joined them she did not let it show as she left the room leaving Sears alone with broken man. The air was still for a moment and Seras didn't know if she should leave or try and speak with him, she gingerly chose the latter.

"Soooo…Father…" but she never got a chance to finish her thought before Anderson cut her off.

"Please lass…just leave me be" his words were heavy sadness as he stared down blankly at his hands.

"Right…well I'll be around you need anything and…welcome aboard" she responded lamely trying in vain to sound upbeat and failing miserably.

"Please…just go" and with those words she was gone and the former priest was alone.

* * *

That had been fifteen years ago and the pain of his loss had only ebbed slightly, he often wondered if God had sent him back just to punish him. But he felt that he still had work to do, he could feel it, he just didn't know what it was yet.

He now realized he had been standing at the front door of Hellsing manor quite some time while he was lost in his thoughts. He still felt like a stranger on these grounds even after more than a decade with them, and there were times like now when he still needed to gather himself before entering the building.

He took a deep breath and gripped the cross around his neck tightly, he felt his hand bump into the holy relic from his final battle with Alucard that now also hung around his neck. Looking down he the nail that had; according to Integra, likely brought him back and he began to wonder why he carried it with him still. At first he had reasoned that he may need it he were to come up against some kind monster he could not best on his own, but that no longer seemed like a valid reason. He hadn't had any sort of real challenge since Alucard, and not a single monster since him had been really worth either his or Seras' time to deal with personally.

Truth be told there had been hardly any cases of vampiric infestation in the past ten years. No he now knew he kept the nail with him as some sort of security blanket, it had been given to him by the Vatican, and it was the last tie he had to his old life as an Iscariot assassin. He knew it was pathetic to cling to his past like that but he could not really being himself to care about how daft it was.

A particularly bitter wind brought him out of his thoughts, and with a deep sigh he slowly opened the door to Hellsing manor.

The foyer was massive and exquisitely decorated, and the scene had always confused Anderson. The size and grandeur may have made sense once when the Manor was full of people and used to entertain dignitaries, but these days Integra's home was occupied only by Seras, Integra, himself and a handful of troops and servants. Anything related to Hellsing or the new round table council was generally handled in the new sub basement so the whole manor seemed unnecessary to the former priest who's personal quarters were quite spartan, and he was certain that Integra could have done something more pragmatic when she had rebuilt her home, but maybe that was just his old vows of poverty speaking.

He brought out his rather odd train of thought by the sound of someone making their way across the foyer. He slowly turned and found himself staring at Seras Victoria. Upon seeing him she jumped a little and waved at him awkwardly.

"Oh hello father, just getting back?" her tone was strained, even after all time exchanges between the two them were still always awkward.

"Please lass, just Alexander or Alex is fine, I've not been a priest these last fifteen years" he said sadly looking her in the eye.

"Hehe right sorry so…Alexander are you just getting back, how did the mission go?" she asked trying to make small talk.

"Aye, I just got back, nothing to report just some townsfolk exaggerating reports about some teenagers worshiping the devil, I'm going to file the report now" he said in an even monotone before moving to take his leave.

Seras watched him as he turned to make his exit, and if she was honest with herself she hated seeing him like this. While she certainly did not want him back trying slay her and shouting insults at herself and Integra, the way he was acting now was down right pathetic. He had none of his old fire or passion and on the rare occasion when they received a lead on a real vampire, he finished the mission quickly and clinically, it was as though all the fight had been taken out of him.

She could understand why, he had lost almost everything that was dear to him in an instant and he was just trying just to find a reason to go on. It was at that moment she got struck with an idea and hopefully it would pull him out of the decade of depression. Moving to follow after him she called out after him with a small smirk plastered on her face.

"Hey Alex!"

"Aye lass" he said turning to face her his eyebrow raised in slight confusion.

"Well…I've been sort of pestering Sir Integra for the past few weeks about doing something for the Christmas season, and today she finally broke down and said yes" she said he voice extremely chipper.

"Did she now? What did you have planned may I ask?" he responded trying to act polite and as though he were interested.

"Well that's why I stopped you. I finally convinced Integra to let me get a Christmas tree for the manor this year and I was wondering if you would like to join me" thought her tone was still happy her face began to fall when he did not seem the share her enthusiasm and she began to wonder if this was such a good idea. But then she caught sight of something she had never seen before as a small but genuine smile spread across Anderson lips.

"That's sounds like a fine idea lass"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter is much lighter than the last, and contains depiction of Anderson acting OOC from what is normally perceived of him. The reason for this is I wanted to explore the much softer side of the character we only saw very little of in the anime/manga and OVAs.**

 **Also I'd like to take a little time to thank Master of the Boot for reviewing and helping me with proofreading.**

 **As always let me know what you think.**

* * *

To say the drive was awkward was an understatement in Seras' opinion. True she had offered him the chance to accompany her, but now as the pair drove through the city she realized that; despite having technically worked together for more than a decade, they knew virtually nothing about one another outside of combat. She had read his file; and she was certain he had read hers, but they only covered their battle statistics and a short psychological profile, not all that much to go on. Taking a deep; though unnecessary, breath she decided to try and break the silence.

"Ssssoooo…Alexander…"

"Please, just Alex will do, ye sound a wee bit strange dragging my name out like that" he told her with a light chuckle.

"Right…so Alex, how have things been?" she asked lamely with half of a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"As well as can be expected I suppose, things are rather dull these days." He responded coolly turning the wheel of the truck smoothly as they rounded a corner.

"Yeah ever since Millennium… um Alex you just drove past the tree lot." Seras cut her own thoughts short as she took note that they had pasted by what she had thought was there destination and continued out of the city towards the country side.

"We aren't going to that bloody tree lot, we are going to cut ourselves a proper tree" he said with a small smirk.

"Oh…I've never been to cut down my own Christmas tree" she spoke more to herself than him as she recalled her childhood. As she pondered her past she heard the man to her right give a light chuckle.

"Never cut down a Christmas tree? Were yer parents daft?" he joked with her, but realized he had said something wrong when he noticed her lower her head and look at her feet. "I'm …I'm sorry if I said something upset ye lass." she looked up suddenly at his voice and gave him a small; albeit sad, smile.

"No, don't worry about it you didn't know. It's just I lost my parents when I was very young and I spent most of my child hood in an orphanage." it was at this it was Seras' turn to notice a change in Anderson's demeanor.

"Did they not celebrate our lord's birth at that orphanage?" he pressed the conversation, though now he sounded as though he were treading on eggshells.

"Oh we did, it was just the whole thing was a rather uninspired affair, and the tree was always a cheap synthetic one." she said with a halfhearted chuckle. With that the tension seemed to lighten, even if just slightly.

"Hehe, well we would not have abided by such nonsense at my orphanage, we cut down a real tree then while the little ones decorated it some of the sisters and myself would make hot cocoa for them, every year without fail." as he reminisced about the happiest times of his life he was jarred from his thoughts by a light jab from Seras' elbow.

"You big softy" she said with a small smirk spreading across her face "You really loved those kids didn't you?"

"You have no idea." he responded solemnly.

"Well at any rate it sounds nice, I wish things had been like that where I was"

"Well…now's your chance to have a proper holiday" Anderson said almost smugly as he parked the truck.

They had pulled into a tree farm without Seras' noticing. Swinging the doors open they were quickly met by a friendly elderly man, who seemed elated to have some customers.

"Finally some people who know the proper way to celebrate the holidays" he said happily as he shook Andersons hand vigorously.

"Not been a busy year?" Seras inquired politely.

"Afraid not miss, folks just don't seem to be interested in cutting down their own ferns anymore." He responded somewhat downcast, but he quickly reverted to his cheery disposition. "Alright if you'll follow me we'll get the pair of you all set up with a saw and sled." he said as he trudged through the snow towards a large barn.

"I feel a bit sorry for him, it must be rough this time of year to have business slow down so much." Seras said as she and Anderson followed after the man.

"It is unfortunate, soon people won't even be going to those daft lots and will just be setting up those plastic abominations." his response was half a joke, but Seras could sense a slight twinge of regret in his voice, she was going to respond when the voice of their host called out to them from the barn.

"It'll be just a moment, I was just getting ready to close up shop for the day, and I didn't think anyone was going to show up today." He finished with a chuckle followed by the sound of shifting equipment.

"Don't worry about it we're in no rush." Anderson responded back.

"So how long you two been together. Is this your first Christmas together?" he called out trying to make small talk as he worked. If he could have seen the looks on their faces he would have known he had made a grievous mistake.

Seras' face paled, then turned scarlet from one ear to the other. A hitched breath to her side told her Anderson had responded in a similar manner.

"We're not…we're just, that is to say…" Seras' stammered trying to explain the misunderstanding.

"We're not a couple; we're simply coworkers here to obtain a tree for employer for the holidays." Anderson called out as Seras buried her face in her gloved hands from embarrassment.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry about that, we'll it's nice of you to come out here for your boss." He apologized as he walked from the barn with a saw in hand pulling a black sled for the tree behind him. "Well here's your saw and sled, the prices are list by the gate to the grove, and you can cut down a thing without a red tag. Okay your all set and happy hunting." he said joyfully his mistake from seconds ago forgotten to him.

"Thank you sir." Anderson said taking the saw and handing it to Seras without looking at her and taking the sled and pulling along behind him as he and his companion entered the grove.

"We will have some nice hot cider ready when you get back" the elderly man called after them, Anderson turned and waved to him before their view was obstructed by pine branches.

The duo walked in silence for quite some time looking everywhere but at one another.

"Sssooo, that was pretty weird back there eh?" Seras finally said breaking the awkward silence.

"I would use the phrasing 'profoundly uncomfortable', but yes it was a tad strange."

"I mean we don't give off that vibe…do we?"

"I'd imagine not lass. We've hardly spent any time with one another, on top of that I've lead a pious life these past seventy-five years; I can't imagine I come off as a love struck fool. Perhaps he was just making small talk." Anderson offered the best explanation he could.

"I guess your right…wait seventy-five years! Just how old are you? If you don't mind me asking."

"Let's see…I'll be ninety-eight this spring." He spoke as though he were talking about the weather. Seras looked over at the large man in a state of shock, she knew he was older than he appeared but she would never have guessed he was almost a century old. "But that's enough small talk; we have a job to do." He said with a smile.

"Right" she said determined.

With this their search began in earnest. Seras found a few she thought were nice but Anderson just shot them all down with quips of "too short" or "not enough branches". With a huff she kicked the snow sending up a small flurry. What made him the expert? She thought to herself before remembering he was the one of them that had actually done this before.

"What about this one?" she asked starting to sound exasperated.

"Hmmm, no it has a bare patch on one side."

"But we can just have that face the wall" she responded trying to defend yet another of her choices from the former priests discerning eyes.

"Now lass, patience is a virtue, we will find the right one we just need to take our time." He said in an almost sagely voice. Although Seras was beginning to get irritated, she found her herself taking a moment to recognize the oddness of this situation. No odd wasn't the word, this was downright bizarre.

She was here picking out a Christmas tree with a man who had almost butchered her on their first encounter. How things had changed so drastically she supposed she would never know for certain. Losing Yumie and the children at the orphanage had been a big part of it no doubt, and the fact he had been dead for three days may have been a factor. She had never had the nerve to ask him what it was he saw; if he saw anything, once he had passed but whatever it was had left him changed. She wondered for a moment what her master would think about this.

"He'd probably call the whole thing foolish." she muttered to herself with a small smile. But this line of thought ended as Anderson had clearly made a find.

"Ah, there it is." he said happily gesturing to a massive pine tree before him.

Sears looked up at the wooden giant; she thought now was her chance to get even with him for shooting down all her suggestions. But try as she might she could not find any reasonable fault.

"It's a tad big…don't you think?" she asked in vain, just hoping to poke a few holes in his suggestion, but she knew that for the manor it was like a perfect size.

"No, it'll be a fine tree for the manor" he responded nonchalantly as he circled his choice.

"I guess you're right, it is a lovely tree" she conceited as she stepped closer, as she stared up towards the top branches she never noticed Anderson reach between the limbs and grip a sturdy one. Had he known she was standing there he may not have given the tree a shake to test the needles, and while no needles fell a rather large amount of snow did come crashing down on Seras. While cold didn't really bother much ever since she was turned, the sensation of snow running down the back of her jacket made her jump and squirm. In her stake of distress she could make out a light chuckle.

"Sorry about that, lass."

"Stop laughing! That went down my shirt you jerk!" she shouted back at the laughing man. Once she had gotten the last of the snow from her down jacket she looked up and saw something she had never seen before. Anderson was laughing, a true laugh and not borderline psychotic cackle that echoed across the battle field whenever he had fought her master.

"So, you think that's funny?" she whispered to herself as she scooped up a hand full of snow and packed it into a sphere. She launched the snowball at her target. It struck him squarely in the face and knocked his glasses a skew, his laughing stopped immediately.

He seemed stunned for a moment and Seras briefly wondered if she had made the right choice. He slowly raised his hand and removed his glasses and brushed the snow off before replacing them on his face. His silence began to worry her before she heard a deep gruff laugh starting deep in his throat.

"So? That's how you want to play eh?" he said with a grin as he scooped up to handfuls of snow and it was only then Seras realized her mistake. Anderson's whole combat style was based off close range and thrown projectiles.

"Now Alex…" she cautioned him, hoping to discourage him but it did her little good as a storm of snowballs flew in her direction and she dove behind a nearby tree.

"Come on lass, you wanted a fight and now you got one!" he taunted her as she cowered behind her cover.

'Alright you want a war, you'll get a war' she thought to herself as she scooped up another handful of snow and packed it tight.

She did a quick three count and let from her cover and fired her projectile at her target. She soon found herself pelted by a barrage snowballs and quickly fled behind cover once more laughing lightly as she did.

"Yer gonna have to do better than that lass!" exclaimed and continued his assault.

"I plan to!" she shouted in return as she burst from behind a tree to Andersons left; having flanked him without his noticing, and speared her much larger opponent around the waist and took him to the ground.

She now had him pinned to the ground as she straddled his waist. Moving quickly she took up a massive amount of snow and held it high over her head.

"Game over" she said with a smirk and slammed it down the stunned face of the Scotsman. Having claimed victory she leapt off her defeated opponent and started to whoop and holler.

"Okay, okay you beat me." Anderson replied with a small smile as he dusted the snow from his hair. "That's enough dawdling, let's get this tree cut and back to the manor before it's completely dark."

The saw made quick work of the pine trunk and the duo swiftly load it on the almost comically small sled as they made their way back to the barn. The weight of the massive pine would have called for an ATV to cart its enormous weight for normal people. But for Seras she may as well have been pulling an empty sled, Anderson noted how easy it was to forget this girl was some supernatural beast and not simply the innocent girl she displayed to the world.

But he pushed this thought aside; he knew very well after working with the girl for so long that she was kinder and gentler than her master, and indeed many of his former Iscariot associates. Her exterior was not some façade she put up; as he had originally thought, she was a monster that had retained her humanity.

The pair made small talk as they made their way back to the home of the farm's proprietor. While there was still a slight undertone of awkwardness much of it had been dispelled by their brief exchange with snow, and before they knew it they were greeted by the friendly face of the owner.

However when he got a good look at what they had brought back a look of shock briefly washed over his face.

"Oh my, you are quite strong aren't you little lady?" he said in awe watching her effortlessly bring the tree up beside the barn.

"Oh, well I've been you know…working out." She said awkwardly while pantomimed a military press, earning her a small laugh from her traveling companion.

"Well, just bring it over to the barn and we'll it bounded up and ready for transport." they followed him as he kept glancing over his shoulder at them still profoundly perplexed at how such a small lady could be so strong.

The whole process took less than a minute and the tree's branches were bound down and their quarry was ready to be loaded. Before the owner could offer his help loading it into the bed of the truck Anderson effortlessly hefted the pine on his shoulder before placing it gingerly in truck bed before tying it down.

"Are the pair of you a couple of bodybuilders or something? I've never seen anyone move anything like you two do?" he asked in awe, Anderson and Seras a quick glance at one another wondering what would be the best answer.

"We just take care of ourselves." Anderson answered simply, hoping the man would not pry any farther.

"Well whatever it is its working." He laughed happy to accept what had been told to him. "Well, you must be cold and I promised you some hot cider." He said a smile as he retrieved a thermos and pouring a mug for each of them.

Anderson took his gratefully and sipped the liquid and sighed as the warmth spread through his body. He glanced over at Seras who politely refused the mug she was offered with a slight look of regret on her face.

Again he was reminded how easy it was to forget this young lady was indeed a vampire. 'All but blood is but ash in their mouths' he thought as she thanked him for the kind gesture anyway. Anderson felt a pang of pity for the girl and wondered if she ever missed not being able to only consume blood.

"Well, you been very kind but we must be one out way." Anderson said finishing his drink and returning the mug to its owner and paying him for their tree before they turned to leave. As he climbed into the driver's side, the old man called after them and moved briskly towards the truck.

"Excuse me sir but you've made a bit of mistake, you don't owe me anywhere near this much." He said with smile as he tried to hand a substantial amount of money back to Anderson, who simply smiled at the man's honesty and held his hand up.

"There's no mistake, I've gave you exactly as much as I meant to."

"…oh, but I can't accept this it's far too much." He responded slightly shocked at the man's generosity.

"Don't you worry about it, I don't want it or need it and besides tis the season." Anderson said with smile.

"Well…thank you sir, this will really help me out." He said happily shaking Anderson hand.

"Like I said don't worry about it and have a happy Christmas."

"You too." His response was happy and sincere.

With a wave goodbye they were off and on their way back to Hellsing manor.

"That's was awfully nice of you." Seras said a short while into their drive.

"Acts of charity and good will are staples of the Christian faith, even the Christians who got it wrong." He said with smirk looking over at her, this little joke earned him a quick swat to the arm from Seras.

"Very funny." She responded dryly.

The drive back was much more comfortable than their there and seemed to pass much more quickly, and before they knew it they were passing through the gates of the Hellsing estate once more.

They left the tree outside while they got ready to prepare its place. They swiftly crossed the yard to the front door which Anderson opened and held for his young traveling companion who thanked him with a smile.

"It's about time the pair of you got back, we just received a report of vampiric activity." Integra said sternly walking into the room. The years had been mostly kind to her but there were lines starting to show around her mouth and eyes, the stresses of her duty were beginning to catch up to her. But despite the signs of her age beginning to show through, she had not slowed down one bit. "I'm going to need the pair of you to prepare for immediate deployment."

This caught their attention, they had not once in their years of working for Hellsing been sent out simultaneously. Once in a great while one was called in to help the other with clean up, but that was the extent of their direct experience in the field with one another.

"What's the situation Sir?" Seras asked her rather cheery disposition from moments ago had evaporated and it was all business.

"Three vampires and a village full of ghouls, the local authorities tried to contain the outbreak but failed, and since they did not report the infestation immediately the ghouls threaten to overrun nearby villages and spread. So we need to hit hard and hit fast, there is no time for us to use a more measured response." Integra replied lighting one of her cigars and handing them each a file containing what little information they had obtained.

"Are these standard vampire or some left over Freaks from Millennium?" Anderson inquired, earning him a look of slight surprise from Integra. He had spoken with a tone of enthusiasm she had not heard since his fight with Alucard fifteen years prior.

"Unclear at this point, any intelligence that was gather by the locals was lost once they were overrun." She answered evenly.

"How many troops will we have to secure the perimeter?" Seras asked.

"None, this has already gotten to a point it never should have, response time is paramount and you two can get there faster without troop transport."

"Yes sir." Seras responded militaristically and shed her outer clothing to reveal her Hellsing uniform underneath. Her once relatively normal looking arm began to morph into its black ethereal form as she turned to leave the manor.

Anderson nodded at his employer solemnly and pulled his Bible from his jacket as he made to follow Seras.

Outside the doors of the manor Seras' arm flowed and twitch as though it were excited by the prospect of a hunt.

"Think you'll be able to put a barrier around the whole village once we reach it?" Seras asked with slight challenging edge to her voice and a small smirk on her face.

"Oh ye of little faith, just try not to get in my way once we arrive." Anderson replied with his own smirk which; Seras noted, seemed to be twisting into the familiar feral grin he had whenever he had faced her master.

There was a flash of red and black and flurry of spinning holy text and in an instant both of them were gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey they, here we are again. Long time since I had an update, but what can I say if I don't feel like writing I'm not going to force it just more the sake of an update. All that being said I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this particular chapter and I hope it turn out okay and I hope you enjoy it, and be sure to let me know what you think.**

 **Oh and also the names of the three vampires are a very intentional reference so Noone bite my head off over it haha.**

"The vampire Alucard, The Count, The Dragon, Vlad the Impaler…he was Hellsing's most powerful weapon, and he has not been seen these past fifteen years. Hellsing's ranks are still thin and brittle. The Vatican's forces and Iscariot have been torn asunder and have been slow to recover. I appreciate your concern in the matter Markus, but now is the time to strike. We have waited far too long for my taste as it is, no tonight we will begin to claim the world that should have always been ours." Said an elderly looking vampires whose face a mired in shadow as he starred at his displeased compatriot.

"With all due respect Viktor, we've only a few hundred ghouls and no new vampires to our cause, should we not wait until our ranks have been bolstered by more substantial soldiers?" The much younger one pleaded with his leader, hoping that they would be able to salvage what he saw as a mess.

"Why wait?" a feminine voice said as a young woman made her presence known to her male cohorts. "Alucard is gone, the Paladin has fallen and the two largest organization that could have stopped us have are in ruins, these pathetic locals crumbled under our might and by the time they can marshal any sizable force our hold on the area will be unbreakable." She finished smirking, earning her a glower from Markus.

"You don't know that Amelia! We've been in hiding for centuries, we have virtually no intelligence on the current standing of Iscariot or Hellsing. We only know who fell during the war with Millennium, we have no idea what their ranks look like!" he shouted back at her, and she only smiled.

"It doesn't matter Markus, the only real threat to our rule was Alucard; perhaps that damned Judas Priest or Millennium's pet wolf, but now they are gone, more than a decade has passed since Hellsing's pet faded away, if he were going to come back he would have done it by now. Viktor is right, we have already waited far too long as it."

Markus was about to rebut her, but his words were cut off by thunderous boom that rattled the entire hospital where they had taken up residence. Viktor looked shocked for only a moment before his face returned to its previous state.

"So the humans have arrived faster than we foresaw, no matter, they could bring all of Britain's military down upon on us, their soldiers will only feed our forces and expand out ranks." Viktor spoke with little concern. "So Markus, what meager might have they marshalled against us?" he ask disinterestedly examining his nails as the younger vampire crossed the room and stared out at who had attack. He was silent for a while but he eventually answered in a confused an almost concerned tone.

"…two."

"What?" Viktor and Amelia asked in unison, surely he was mistaken. But there was no time to answer as a second shell fired and rattled their base.

Viktor was visibly seething at the assault as the barrage picked up and was no doubt tearing there minions apart.

"Let them come, they will soon realize with whom they deal." He said coldly as the volley of shells suddenly stopped.

"Knock, knock." Seras said with a smirk as her Anti-tank cannon receded into the black ethereal mass that was now her left arm. She didn't really need the weapon but she found herself still making heavy use the weapon. "Well that should have gotten their attention, shall we?" she asked her companion making a mock gesture of politeness towards the now shattered main entrance to the hospital. The man just grinned his feral grin as a set of blessed blades materialized to his hands.

"Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and for thy possession, the ends of the earth. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces, like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, ye kings. Be admonished, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, though his wrath be kindled but a little." He spoke loudly enough Seras was certain those inside could hear him almost shouting. The sound of scraping steel echoed through the air as he honed the edge of his hallowed blades, walking briskly but calmly towards their target's current base.

Seras followed suit in almost a sauntering behind him. They had little to fear of their enemy fleeing once they were inside. Anderson had placed a barrier around the village so no ghouls would be able to wander out; a few had already been reduced to ash after stumbling into them, and he was to repeat the process once they were in side.

As bizarre as it was Seras was quite glad to see Anderson return to his former self while on this hunt. While she was certainly glad his wrath had not visited upon her in all his time at Hellsing, the mundane and disheartened Anderson of the last fifteen years was tantamount to watching a bear shackled by chains. Sure you knew there was the potential for danger, but it was mostly just depressing to watch.

'I guess a little kindness and a good hunt was all he needed to pull him out of his slump.' She thought to herself as they cross the threshold of the hospital. The very moment she had crossed into the building a storm of holy text and nails darted through the air and were tacked to all the windows and doors, all the undead were now effectively sealed inside.

"Ladies' choice, do you want to clear the first or second floor?" Anderson asked in a polite, though slightly fanatic, tone.

"Such a gentlemen." Seras responded placing her hand daintily over her heart before laughing off her own joke. "I'll go high you go low, sound good?" she asked.

"Works for me just fine." He responded with a grin and he took off like a bolt and before long Seras could hear the sound of ghouls being torn asunder.

Moving with no real sense of urgency Seras took to the stairs and made her way up to the next floor. The area was sealed and there were no members of the living still walking these halls; with the obvious exception of the Scotsman downstairs, so Seras took her time strolling through the halls. This was an attribute she had developed over the years, she had all the time in the world and there was really no need to rush so long as the job was finished.

She wondered for a brief moment if this was the influence of Pip, or if she perhaps was subconsciously taking up some of her masters old mannerisms. This line of thought was cut short when she heard hushed voices speaking to one another on the other side of the wall to her right.

She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, she could sense their vampiric presence from where she stood. With a small smirk she silently phased through the wall. When she rematerialized on the other side she was shrouded in the shadows behind what was undoubtedly her targets. For a moment she thought of just finishing them all in one fell swoop, but instead she opted to wait and see what they did next, it had been far too long since she had been on any sort of interesting mission. So she just leaned against the wall and listened to the trio bickering against the backdrop of Anderson's slaughter on the floor below.

"I told you we should have waited, now there's some unknown adversary downstairs tearing through what forces we have mustered." The younger of the two males said, and it clearly irritated his elder; whom Seras assumed was in charge.

"Let the fool come it will make no difference, perhaps we could turn him into a useful servant." The lone female of the group offered and Seras couldn't help but snicker at this causing the trio to turn and stare at her in surprise. 'Damn, blew my cover …oh well.' She thought as she offered them a gentle wave.

"Hello, and how are you this evening?" She offered pleasantly.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" The older man asked her in a hurried and irritated voice.

"Right, Sorry" She responded cheerily with a snap of her fingers acting as though this was a normal conversation and she had simply forgotten her manners. "Seras Victoria of the Hellsing Organization at your service." She finished with a mocking bow.

A look of realization dawned about the face of the elderly vampire and it was quickly followed by an almost knowing smirk.

"Ah of course, Alucard's fledgling, I had nearly forgotten all about you. You do so lack the presence of you former master." He finished with a smirk that quickly faded when he noticed that Seras simply smiled back at him. "What are you smiling about? You must realize you have no hope against us." He barked at her, to which she simply continued to smile.

"Maybe, just maybe if I was by myself you might be…hmmm no, not even then."

"You talk a great deal child, I think I'll rectify that." The female hissed through her teeth pulling a long thin dagger from her belt. "Perhaps I'll start with your tongue." But she was stopped dead by the sound of a deep voice echoing through the halls, and it sounded almost as though it were…singing.

"The king of glory comes the nation rejoices. Open the gates before him, lift up your voices."

Looks of pure bewilderment washed across their faces. Who in their right mind would be singing amidst hordes of the undead? The three exchanged glances with on another before Seras interjected.

"Which brings us to why we are here. The lot of you have been causing a lot of people a lot of grief and we have come to stop it." Her voice never lost its chipper tone. She was never known for her cruelty, but Seras found she took a certain amount of pleasure in watching the wicked squirm. 'Now that's definitely from Alucard' she thought to herself as she completely ignored the three furious vampires in front of her.

"I've heard enough of this nonsense, Markus silence this girl." The older vampire order and moving with surprising quickness the younger man withdrew a flanged mace and delivered a devastating strike to Seras' skull causing it to shatter like an eggshell, her blood splattering on the floor.

As he turned away from his fallen foe he heard a small giggle and turned to see Seras' head had reformed without any hint of damage.

"As I was saying, we've come here to stop all this nonsense. We clearly can't let you leave, so you have two options. You can surrender and we can make this quick and, mostly, painless. Or you can fightback and maybe I'll be able to put you out of your misery before he gets here." Once again they all gave her bewildered looks, except now there was a measure of fear mixed with the confusion. That was save for one; Seras noted, the eldest among them simply looked enraged.

"Who is the King of glory; how shall we call him? He is Emmanuel, the promised of ages." The voice rang through the halls once more, this time however they could just make out the slow, determine, and deliberate and heavy dull thump of boots on the floor.

"I would choose quickly if I were you. Normally he cites bible verses when he's enjoying a hunt, I have never once heard him sing, and when he's in a good mood…well…the undead don't fare so well." Seras told them having experienced the paladin's wrath in the past.

"Viktor…" The female spoke, the fear of what was coming was clear in her voice.

"Silence Amelia, do not cower in my presence, they have no strength that can match ours…she's bluffing hoping to scare us and force a retreat." He said confidently eyeing Seras with a smirk.

"Oh, by all means try and leave." She offered pleasantly gesturing to a nearby window.

She would never know for certain if any of them would have actually made an attempt to flee at that point as a lone figure appeared in the doorway.

"Now lass it's not nice to keep all the fun to yourself," a teasing tone came from the figure in the shadows.

"I'm terribly sorry Alex, I must have been too distracted by your lovely singing voice to inform you of my find," she responded through a smirk.

The trio turned to face the newcomer and once they laid eyes upon the man before them they all immediately recognized the infamous paladin and looks of terror spread across their faces. Even the Viktor's face flashed a brief look of shock.

"Impossible…" Viktor mumbled to himself as Anderson began to slowly and determinately approach them.

"Through the Lord all things are possible," he grinned cruelly at them striking his blades against one another the resulting sparks briefly illuminating his face.

"Well I think the time has passed for you to have any choice in the matter, how would you like to do this Alex?" Seras asked in an almost bemused tone.

"Well now lass, seeing as I'm a gentlemen and have already had a wee bit of fun downstairs, how about you pick which two you'd like and I'll take who ever is left," Anderson said in a disturbingly kind and gentle tone.

"Oh your so kind, let's see…" she responded in a bemused tone before tapping her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger and began to look over their foes like a child would look over candy in a shop.

Seething with rage the one called Markus darted towards her quickly his mace raised high before it came crashing down and shattering the floor where Seras once stood. His eyes grew wide as he realized she was now standing right behind him.

"You're much faster than the average vampire, stronger too I think…but it doesn't really matter right now does it?" Seras whispered in his ear before driving her hand through his heart reducing him to ash before he could even react.

Straightening herself she turned to face the other two and dusted herself off.

"Now lass, that wasn't very sporting of you he didn't even know what hit him. You really need to learn how to enjoy the hunt," Anderson said smoothly though his tone was similar to a parent chiding a child for eating too quickly.

"Well we can't all have a hundred years of experience under our belt, I'm still pretty new at this compared to you," Seras teased back earning a small chuckle from the former priest.

"Now now, there's no need to say such things, I'm not that that old yet," he said back to her with a grin.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! AMELIA YOU KILL THE GIRL THE PALADIN IS MINE!" Viktor shouted drawing a finely crafted longsword and stood forward with purpose.

"Yes! Come and face me monster, show what might you can muster!" Anderson shouted readying his blades for the coming clash.

Despite looking quite elderly Viktor moved swiftly and expertly sword the blade with the hopes of removing his foes head. But the sword was met with the blade of bayonet mere inches from his neck. Viktor glared and Anderson grinned.

In and instant the air filled with the ringing sound of steel on steel as the pair clashed again and again. Seras watched with an interested eye. This Viktor was no slouch, quite the contrary in fact, he was actually quite powerful. But Seras could tell Anderson was simply playing with him.

"Pay attention girl!" Amelia shouted at dove forward and made to stab her in the heart, a blow Seras easily dodged. "I'll flay you girl, I'm going to pick you apart, then we're going to tear your paladin apart," she hissed with a savage snarl.

Seras simply smiled back as she effortlessly and lazily dodged and slipped every strike made against her. She took note that woman's frenzied strikes, while seemingly wild and unpracticed were actually very deliberate and controlled despite their erratic nature.

Seras was actually quite impressed, this style of fighting was designed to keep an opponent guessing and off balance. Against someone else this may have actually proved quite effective but someone Seras' caliber it didn't really make a difference, and she soon found herself growing disinterested.

"Is this all you can do?" she asked with a lackadaisical tone. The look of shock that crossed her eyes told Seras all she needed. "Well…that's terribly disappointing…well I least I can enjoy watching what happened to your boss."

A brief look of confusion crossed the woman's face before it quickly morphed to terror as the enormous barrel of a personal cannon came rocketing out of the black mass that was Seras' arm and smashed with a resounding crack into her opponents mouth pinning her wall and shattering her teeth in the process .

"Tata," she said cheerily with a small wave before the thunderous boom of her Harkonnen reduced the vampire to bloody mass of pulp and bone before she purified the remains. Dusting herself off once more and nonchalantly took a seat in a nearby chair.

The clash between Anderson and Viktor grew more and more fervent. The occasional flash of steel or the sound flesh tearing would all that a normal person would have been able to make out as the two enemies came to blows again and again at inhuman speeds. But for Seras it was as easy to follow what was happening as if she were watching a football match.

The pair locked blades and glared at one another ,Viktor with utter contempt and Anderson with a savage glee.

"You died once paladin, and we will kill you once again," Viktor hissed up at the taller man who simply laughed.

"Hahaha, we? Look around monster, you're all alone," Anderson taunted causing Viktor to glance over to where Seras and Amelia had been fighting only to see a smiling Seras waving at him happily.

Viktor scowled and let out a seething hiss and gave a powerful shove and broke the clash and turned to try and flee. He just barley made it to the door before a blade pierced his calf and he began to tumble to the floor before his form burst in to mist and flitted out of the room.

"Oh, I haven't seen one capable of doing that in quite some time," Anderson said in bemused tone as he went to retrieve his blade that now lay abandoned on the floor.

"He's old, the other two were as well. These aren't freaks or some novice undead. But that didn't really matter all that much did it?" she said glancing up cheerily at Anderson.

"Aye, it's a decent hunt and now…"he said twirling his blades between his fingers "we get to have a wee bit of chase," he said through an almost manic grin.

"You enjoy this just a little too much," Seras teased causing him to look down at her his manic grin now changed to a gentle smile.

"Well…I do enjoy my work, and don't act like you haven't grown to enjoy taunting the wicked, I heard what you said to the others before you finished your work," he said knowingly, causing Seras to let a small laugh and gave him a faux bashful wave as if trying to dismiss the statement.

"What? Me? You must be mistaken," said jokingly.

The pair chuckled in unison for a moment before they were interrupted by a loud crackling and hissing sound followed by a series of colorful curses echoed down the hall.

"Guess he found the barrier," Seras said slightly amused as she turned to face the source of the sound. "Well…shall we?" she asked gesturing to the open down.

"Ladies first," he responded happily eliciting a small bemused chuckle from Seras as she left to walk down the hall towards their target.

A short walk later they found their quarry crumpled on the floor in a rather sorry state. Half his face had been see red down to the bone exposing his skull. He clutched desperately at his crippled left arm that was now smoldering and smoke from its contact with holy barrier. He sat slumped against the wall breathing heavily as his eyes traveled up and landed upon the duo slowly approaching. He let out a hiss of pain as he tried desperately to will himself to heal faster.

"And this, lass, is what happens when a vampire run full tilt into one of my holy barriers hehehe," the former priest with a clear amount of glee in his voice.

"Oh that looks like it really smarts, looks like I lucked out the first time we met," Seras commented flippantly.

A growl escaped from Viktor's lips as he struggled to stand "You dare mock me! Do you have any idea with whom you deal!" he tried to shout but his voice came out in only a hoarse whisper. "I am not simple ghoul! I am…" but he was cut off by the powerful voice of Anderson.

"Silence monster, the dead do not speak," his voice was calm and almost quite but still managed to resonate with a divine authority.

Viktor held his tongue, finding himself unable to speak as Anderson approached sliding one blade slowly across the other. His knees grew weak and began to tremble before they gave out entirely as a sudden and terrible fear he had never known gripped him as he scrambled desperately into the wall pressing himself against it as Anderson methodically sharpened his blades against one another as he spoke.

"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. We are nothing, but dust and to dust we shall return. Amen." Emphasizing every word with a long scraping sound of metal on metal.

"Wait…" Viktor began, his arm extended out pleadingly before one of blades sunk deep into his shoulder pinning him to the wall and bit back a cry of pain.

"Go ahead monster, go ahead and cry out, it may be your last chance repent," Anderson told him coolly as he raised another blade.

Grabbing the blade in his shoulder harshly and began to pull it out despite the hissing of his burning flesh against the holy blade. With a great deal of effort he managed removed the offending weapon and dropping it with a clatter to the floor. Letting out a ragged breath he glared up at his gleeful enemy and did not speak.

"Suit yourself," Anderson spoke evenly, and with that another blade pierced the body of the vampire.

There was a familiar sound and scent of burning flash filled the air as Viktor let out a grunt of pain, trying desperately to not cry out in pain, he did not want to give Anderson that satisfaction. It became even harder once a second blade entered his stomach. He let out a gargled cough but still did not cry out. There was a flash and suddenly a storm of blade peppered his body each one more painful than the last, each one miraculously missing anything vital and with that his resolve broke and he let out a shout of pain as his flesh was burned by sacred steel.

"Okay Alex you've had your fun, just end it so we can go home," Seras said her voice betraying her slight discomfort as the gratuitous display. She certainly felt no sympathy for the other vampire but she did not take any particular pleasure in Anderson's overtly drawn out execution.

"Fair enough lass," he responded a little dejected as he unceremoniously severed his preys head from his shoulders. "Do you sense any others?" he asked as Viktor's head rolled across the floor.

"Oh, right, just a moment," she responded as she closed her eyes as she searched for any vampirism or any other undead essence. After a minute or two she was certain that any other ghouls that may have been lurking about had fallen once the final vampire had been slain. "We're all good here, this place is clean," she said happily.

"Well…that's that then, it's a shame it was over so quickly I haven't enjoyed the thrill of the hunt in such a long time," Anderson responded in an almost disappointed tone. "But I suppose it is a good thing massive incidents such as this are so few and far between," he said his voice growing a bit softer.

"Well think of it like this, hunts might be sparse but you'll always have me," Seras joked jabbing him in the ribs lightly with her elbow causing a small laugh to escape his lips.

"Hehehe, I suppose you're right, I'll always have the little heathen draculina by my side pestering me about Christmas trees and other such matters of grave important," he teased back causing Seras to puff out her cheeks in mild irritation causing him to laugh more heartily. "But all joking aside, I would like to thank you lass," he finished his voice becoming considerably more sincere .

Seras let her semi-irritated face fall as a look of slight confusion replaced it. "Umm, For what exactly?"

"For today, you saw me in a low place and reached out to help. It may not seem like much, but it was nice to remember my past fondly instead of ruminating on what I've lost, thank you Seras Victoria," he finished softly giving her a small smile.

"Oh umm, your welcome I suppose, I mean I was just trying to be nice and you seemed like you were really down and needed a pick me up so…"trailing off as she rambled, she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. "Plus you really help me out, I never would have been able to pick out a tree as nice as you did, all my choice were just dreadful," she offered fully aware of how lame this sounded especially when compared to what he had just expressed to her.

"Hehehe, that is true, you were rather bad at it," he responded kindly.

"Thank you so much for agreeing with me," she said with sarcasm dripping from her every word, this only served to make Anderson laugh a bit harder.

This continued for a moment before his lite chortle began to die down to a snicker and then stopped entirely

"Is that it? Are you done or do you have more in you?" Seras asked with a bit snarkily as she placed her hand on her hips.

"Aye lass, I'm done, come, let's go home. I do believe we have tree to decorate," he said warmly to her as he turned to leave the building.

"Oh yeah…home, let's go," she said with a hint of surprise. As she followed after the giant man she realized something quite remarkable had happened that night.

Alexander Anderson, former paladin and priest of Iscariot, the most ardent of their solider and once possibly her deadliest foe had just called Hellsing Manor his home for the first time in over fifteen years.


End file.
